Life was designed to be lived in community.

Intro: The last two sermons from this series that I have preached have drawn
special attention to the minister in the church. You would be surprise what the
church member thinks the pastor’s role is and what God wants this role to be. I
would think we are all somewhat guilty of having our opinion of what we expect
from the pastor. Problem still remains it is what God wants that should be important:
“That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of
His promise in Christ through the gospel, 7 of which I became a minister
according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working
of His power.” Ephesians 3:6-7

Text: 1 Corinthians 4:1-21 (NKJV)

To understand
what God wants we must recognize His ministers:

1. Minster’s of God: Vs.1-5 “Let a
man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.
2 Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful. 3 But with me
it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by a human court. In
fact, I do not even judge myself. 4 For I know nothing against myself, yet I am
not justified by this; but He who judges me is the Lord. 5 Therefore judge
nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the
hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each
one's praise will come from God.

Ministers need to be counted for what they
are. Ministers are ministers of Christ. The word "minister" means an
under-rower. It refers to the slaves who sat in the belly of the large ships
and pulled at the great oars to carry the boat through the sea. Christ is the
Master of the ship and the minister is one of the slaves of Christ. No minister
is to be elevated above other ministers or servants he is only the under-rower,
a slave of the Master of the ship. Believers are not to judge and elevate
ministers above each other. Ministers are stewards of God. This means the
overseer of an estate, the steward over the mysteries of God. “Of which I
became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the
effective working of His power.” Ephesians 3:7

Ministers are required to be
faithful. This is the one essential for the minister. There is no other
requirement of him. The minister is not required by God to be an administrator,
counselor, visitor, door-greeter, or socializer—as important as these
ministries are. The minister is required to be faithful in ministering the
mysteries of God. He is held accountable and shall be judged for how well he
ministers the mysteries of God: “Of which I became a minister according to the
stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of
God.” Colossians 1:25

Believers are not to judge ministers, the servant who has
been made a steward for one purpose only: to be faithful to the Master, the
Lord Jesus Christ. Criticism and disapproval hurt and cut the heart, but they
do not matter at all in the judgment of God. Man's judgment of God's minister
has no bearing whatsoever upon what God will do with the minister. The
congregation or some clique in the church may cut the minister to shreds, and
they may break his heart, but they have absolutely nothing to do with the
judgment of the man's faithfulness and unfaithfulness. "Judge not, that ye
be not judged" The Lord alone justifies a man and his ministry. No matter
how successful men may judge one another to be—no matter how much praise men
may heap upon one another—no person will have the praise of God until Christ
returns and judges the secret things of a man's heart and life. This is the
reason men are not to judge the ministers and servants of God.

"The heart
is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; who can know it? 10 I,
the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according
to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings.” Jeremiah 17:9-10

To next
understand what God wants you must know the minister is different:

2. Makes No
Difference to God: Vs.6-13 Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively
transferred to myself and Apollos for your sakes, that you may learn in us not
to think beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up on behalf of
one against the other. 7 For who makes you differ from another? And what do you
have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you
boast as if you had not received it? 8 You are already full! You are already
rich! You have reigned as kings without us--and indeed I could wish you did
reign, that we also might reign with you! 9 For I think that God has displayed
us, the apostles, last, as men condemned to death; for we have been made a
spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men. 10 We are fools for Christ's
sake, but you are wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are
distinguished, but we are dishonored! 11 To the present hour we both hunger and
thirst, and we are poorly clothed, and beaten, and homeless. 12 And we labor,
working with our own hands. Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we
endure; 13 being defamed, we entreat. We have been made as the filth of the
world, the offscouring of all things until now.

Believers must stop being
"puffed up" against one another. The person or persons who begin to
elevate one minister above another are "puffed up." The phrase means
to be inflated. It is a picture of puffed up air bags. The judging of ministers
and the feelings that one can judge ministers is nothing but hot air in puffed
up balloons. It is meaningless. It means absolutely nothing to God. “Whoever
exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Matthew 23:12

Paul asked the question: ‘For who makes you differ from another? Why
are you boasting of being super-spiritual? Why are you acting superior to other
believers? “For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing,
he deceives himself.” Galatians 6:3

Some believers were acting as though they
were perfect and mature, and had the right to pass judgment upon God's people.
They were acting as though God had already given them their spiritual reward
and exalted them to rule over the believers of the church.

Now in verse nine
the minister is "appointed to death". This is a continuation of the
picture of the doomed gladiator. He is marched through the city streets and
before the screaming mobs of the arena. He is made a spectacle before the world
and he has to endure it, for he has no choice. The minister is expected to
serve and to be put last. The minister is counted as a fool for Christ's sake
because of His strong devotion to Christ. The world and too often believers
look at the minister as a radical fool. But not too many believers are
considered to be fools. Most believers are accepted by the world and among
other believers and considered wise. The believers are thought to be strong,
for they receive the fullness of Christ without suffering too much and without
having to go on and on hour after hour and day after day. But not ministers.
Ministers are too often without honor among the world and, tragically, among
believers. “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but
Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith
in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Galatians 2:20

True
ministers are the servants of Christ, and the stewards of God's gospel
(mysteries); and they pay any price to share the gospel and to minister to
people. Paul says that he and the apostles were bearing these very sufferings
"even unto this present hour." How many of us have really sacrificed
all we are and have like the apostles did? "Blessed are you when people
insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because
of me.” Matthew 5:11 (NIV)

To understand what God wants we must Love as God
Loves:

3. Must Love God: Vs.14-21 I do not write these things to shame you, but as
my beloved children I warn you. 15 For though you might have ten thousand
instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I
have begotten you through the gospel. 16 Therefore I urge you, imitate me. 17
For this reason I have sent Timothy to you, who is my beloved and faithful son
in the Lord, who will remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach everywhere in
every church. 18 Now some are puffed up, as though I were not coming to you. 19
But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord wills, and I will know, not the
word of those who are puffed up, but the power. 20 For the kingdom of God is
not in word but in power. 21 What do you want? Shall I come to you with a rod,
or in love and a spirit of gentleness?

The spirit of God's minister is that of
a fatherly spirit, not that of an instructor's spirit. The spirit of God's
minister sets an unmatchable example. "Be ye followers of me." The
Greek word for "followers" means imitators: “Imitate me, just as I
also imitate Christ.” 1 Corinthians 11:1

The believer must be a humble follower
of God who loves his minister and who is vitally interested in serving his
Lord. Paul had sent Timothy as a good example of what a young minister who
loves and is willing to learn just as the son of a father (older pastor) is
willing to learn.

When God rules in a life, it is in power. The old life that
makes accusations and spreads rumors about people has been put to death. God's
rule of love reigns in a life. The point is direct: the accusers were
professing to be citizens of God's kingdom, to have surrendered their lives to
Christ, but their profession was word only—only a false profession. The power
of God's kingdom, of His rule in a life, was not seen in their lives. They were
not demonstrating love and peace nor the building up of God's church and its
minister, but the very opposite. They were gossiping, causing rumors, making
accusations, disturbing people, causing division, and about to destroy the
church. God's kingdom and its rule of love must reign in the church and be kept
as pure as possible.

Paul loved the Lord, and he loved the people under his
care. He existed only to serve the Lord and the Lord's people. Therefore, his
heart reached out to help believers no matter their state or circumstances.
“You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go
and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the
Father in My name He may give you.’ John 15:16

The love of a minister is just
like that of a father. True love is not a thing of indulgence and license that
allows selfishness and wrong, dirt and ugliness, sin and shame to run loose and
rampant at will. True love cares about the consequence of a person's behavior;
true love exercises firm correction and discipline that is sure to save and
keep the loved person from harming himself.

When Silence Speaks

Being
challenged by his eloquent priest, a bright, sensitive young man decided he
wanted to become a monk. He discussed it many times during high school days
with the pastor of his parish. Seeing he could not discourage the candidate but
warning him of the rugged discipline required, the pastor finally recommended
the lad to the proper authorities. The superior in charge of the desired order
told the candidate he would be allowed to speak but two words for the first ten
years. At the end of that exhausting period, he was asked, “Do you have any
comment?” “Food cold.”

Another decade of dedication was endured. The monk’s
confessor asked, “Do you have anything to say?” “Bed hard.” At last the third
decade of silence passed. Again the candidate for the chosen order was asked to
comment. “I quit.” “Good,” replied the superior, “you’ve done nothing but
complain for the last thirty years.”

A pastor task is difficult; however, it is
a calling. Ministers our stewards of God called to be faithful. The spirit of God's
minister is that of a fatherly spirit, to help growth in the life of a
believer, and to love as He loves; “This is what God wants!”